The Minneapolis rap scene had quite the decade. From big acts like P.O.S. and Atmosphere to a deep pool of lesser known MCs, you never have to look far to find some great new hip hop in a city that doesn’t immediately scream “hip hop hotbed.” With all of the talent in the Twin Cities much of the attention is focused around the Rhymesayers record label however, and there is one rapper—who in my book—was the flat out best rapper of the decade: Brother Ali. He has made consistently great LPs and EPs, but his debut record, Shadows on the Sun, is my personal favorite. Ali has never been shy about talking about his personal life in his songs, and Shadows on the Sun is full of first person testimonials from an albino Muslim living in rough and tumble Minneapolis. Needless to say it is an interesting perspective that, managed by Ali’s silky smooth flow and Ant’s usual top notch production, served to create one of the most engaging hip hop records of the 2000s for me.

Brother Ali “Star Quality” (mp3)

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Also: More from Culture Bully’s Best of the Decade